Number lines are effective tools to help children learn about number order. Write one number from 1 to 20 on 20 index cards. Pass out one number card to each student. Have one student stand up with her number. Then ask the person who has the number that comes before her number to stand up. Ask the child who has the number that comes after her number to stand. Place the three cards in the correct spots on a blank number line. Then have another child stand up with her number and find the numbers that go before and after it. Place those cards on the number line. Continue playing until the number line is complete.
Students can play a similar game in a center or small group. Give one child a complete number line for the numbers you are working on and a stack of cards with the same numbers on them. Have the child draw a card, name the numbers that are one more and one less and use the number line to check. If she is correct, she keeps the card. If not, it goes back in the pile. Use these activities for teaching number order at any level by changing the numbers on the number line.
Build snap cube towers to help the youngest learners practice putting numbers in order. Give each child one die and a basket of snap cubes. Have him roll the die, build a tower with the corresponding number of cubes and write the number on a sticky note to put under the tower. Have him repeat the process until he has built five towers. Then have him put the numbers and towers in order from smallest to largest. To modify the activity for older children, have them roll two, three or four dice.
Place several cups with different amounts of beans, cubes or other small objects in them at your math center. Have the children count the objects in each cup and then put the cups in the correct number order. Vary the the activity for different themes and holidays throughout the year. For Easter the children can count count jellybeans placed inside plastic Easter eggs. Vases with different numbers of flowers for a spring or garden theme, pictures of nests with egg stickers on them for a bird theme and boxes with small toy cars for a transportation theme are a few more ideas for changing up the center.
Use a deck of playing cards to help children practice number order. Pull a set of cards from ace to ten out of a deck of cards. Mix them up and place them face down in a pile. Have students work in pairs. The first draws a card and places it face up on the table. The next child draws and has to decide if his card comes before or after the first card. The students continue to draw cards and place them in the correct place on the table until all of the cards are drawn and in number order.